Historic Saranac Lake

Historic Saranac Lake Historic Saranac Lake's mission is to preserve and present area history and architecture to build a stronger community.

We operate out of the Saranac Laboratory Museum. Add to our online archive of local history: wiki.historicsaranaclake.org

: It feels like summer's really here, so we've been thinking about boats! This postcard shows a wooden boat, most likel...
06/11/2026

: It feels like summer's really here, so we've been thinking about boats! This postcard shows a wooden boat, most likely used by patients at Stony Wold Sanatorium on Lake Kushaqua. The sender of the card notes that they "never take such a large crowd, only ten girls go at a time." We bet everyone wanted to pile on for the photograph! Be safe out there on the water, and enjoy these beautiful days!⁠

Learn more about Stony Wold on our wiki: https://wiki.historicsaranaclake.org/index.php/Stony_Wold_Sanatorium
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[Historic Saranac Lake Collection, 2024.35.21. Gift of Phil Fitzpatrick.]

: Historic Saranac Lake needs your help identifying the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and/or WHY of this photo. This mystery ...
06/10/2026

: Historic Saranac Lake needs your help identifying the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and/or WHY of this photo. This mystery photo of "grey ladies" was taken by Harold M. Eby, a Saranac Lake photographer, but otherwise we're stumped! It was likely taken sometime around WWII, but none of the women are identified. Do you recognize anyone in the photograph, or even the room where it was taken? Let us know by leaving a comment or sending us a message!⁠
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[Historic Saranac Lake Collection.]

We are thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a grant of $600,000 from the New York State Council on the Arts to...
06/09/2026

We are thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a grant of $600,000 from the New York State Council on the Arts to support construction of an accessible entrance at the Saranac Laboratory Museum. This is the final phase of our project to expand our museum to become a two-building campus. The grant will support the installation of a handicap lift and foyer addition at the rear of the Saranac Laboratory. The new entrance will integrate the visitor experience across the museum campus and provide accessibility in all areas. The new addition will also serve as an improved museum store. Construction of the accessible laboratory addition is expected to begin soon. The project is expected to be completed by 2027.

The new museum exhibits in the Trudeau Building will open this August. All members of Historic Saranac Lake and those who have contributed to the museum expansion project at any level will be invited to the ribbon-cutting on August 15. A community-wide celebration will take place the following Saturday, August 22, when the doors to the Trudeau Building will be thrown open for a free Open House.

Learn more about our projects and upcoming events on our website at historicsaranaclake.org!

We are sad to hear of the passing of our friend Tom Seymour. We always enjoyed seeing Tom’s friendly face at the museum ...
06/05/2026

We are sad to hear of the passing of our friend Tom Seymour. We always enjoyed seeing Tom’s friendly face at the museum and around the community. A skilled carpenter, Tom built the beautiful cabinets in the laboratory museum, replicas of the originals created in 1894. Tom's care and attention to the project brought the laboratory back to life when it first re-opened to the public in 2010. In recent years, Tom returned to build more cabinetry to host the Post Office Pharmacy collection. The museum wouldn’t be the special place it is today without Tom’s talent, dedication, and kindness. We extend our sincere condolences to Tom’s family and friends.⁠
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Read Tom's obituary in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise: https://www.dailygazette.com/ade/obituaries/thomas-edmund-seymour/article_4811f916-a84b-5d1a-92b7-1114ebe64bf0.html

: Yesterday was , and we have a fun one to celebrate! This contraption was put together by Henry Ives Baldwin, sometim...
06/04/2026

: Yesterday was , and we have a fun one to celebrate! This contraption was put together by Henry Ives Baldwin, sometime in the early 1900s. Henry loved to create all kinds of vehicles, whether bikes, motorcycles, or even small planes! His mother, Mary Ives Baldwin, often documented his projects with her camera. This photograph was taken in front of the Baldwin Family's home at 6 Church Street, now 94 Church. Enjoy riding your bike today, whether it comes with a wicker side chair or not!⁠
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[Historic Saranac Lake Collection, 2023.48.363. Gift of Barbara Baldwin Knapp.]

: Historic Saranac Lake needs your help identifying the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and/or WHY of this photo. Today's 5 Ws ...
06/03/2026

: Historic Saranac Lake needs your help identifying the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and/or WHY of this photo. Today's 5 Ws is an appeal to our translators! This message was sent in 1935, and mailed from the post office at Trudeau Sanatorium. It was written on the back of a card featuring a photograph of the statue of Edward Livingston Trudeau, but we can't read it! Does anyone out there read French, and want to give it a try? Let us know what you see by leaving a comment or sending us a message.⁠
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[Historic Saranac Lake Collection, 2026.5.1. Gift of Dorothy and Jay Federman.]

We are thrilled to welcome our new Museum Specialist, Ellie Hoyt! Ellie recently graduated from St. Lawrence University ...
06/01/2026

We are thrilled to welcome our new Museum Specialist, Ellie Hoyt! Ellie recently graduated from St. Lawrence University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and plans to pursue a graduate degree to continue on the path of museum studies and library science. They have lived in the North Country for nearly 7 years and are overjoyed to become a part of the Historic Saranac Lake community. Ellie has joined our Collections Team and will be digging into digitization, research requests, and more! If you have a research request, Ellie can help!

: We’re so excited for our upcoming behind-the-scenes look at the former Trudeau Sanatorium campus with the owners of t...
05/28/2026

: We’re so excited for our upcoming behind-the-scenes look at the former Trudeau Sanatorium campus with the owners of the property on June 13! In honor of this event, we’re sharing a postcard showing some of the buildings on the campus, including the Medical and Reception Pavilion, which guests will be allowed to go inside.

This event offers a rare opportunity to step inside some of the buildings that have been recently renovated. Guests will have the opportunity to learn about the history of these buildings, the work that was done to preserve them, and the way they will be used going forward. You can find out more about the tour by visiting our website: historicsaranaclake.org/events! Please note that due to high interest, pre-registration is required and spots are limited!

[Historic Saranac Lake Collection, 2024.3.96. Gift of an anonymous donor.]

: Historic Saranac Lake needs your help identifying the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and/or WHY of this photo. This week, we...
05/27/2026

: Historic Saranac Lake needs your help identifying the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and/or WHY of this photo. This week, we have another Winter Carnival parade mystery! The woman on the horse in this photograph was identified as Myrtle Cagle, but otherwise we know nothing! She may have been riding with a float with the slogan, “See the Nature Facing Freaks!” which is another mystery to us. Do you know anything about Myrtle (or Myrtel)? Does that float slogan mean anything to you? Do you recognize the building behind her? Let us know by leaving a comment or sending us a message!

[Historic Saranac Lake Collection, 2009.10.4.35. Gift of Natalie Leduc.]

Rainy weather couldn't keep us down! Last Monday, we partnered up with our friends from the Adirondack Experience to wel...
05/26/2026

Rainy weather couldn't keep us down! Last Monday, we partnered up with our friends from the Adirondack Experience to welcome Tupper Lake fifth graders to the Saranac Laboratory Museum. They explored the lab, learned all about the history of tuberculosis in Saranac Lake, and even got to check out the Dickert collection at the Saranac Lake Free Library.
Huge thanks to the ADKx team, the library, and our volunteers for helping us put together such a great day for the kids!

If you're interested in working with students, are a retired teacher, or just want to help inspire the next generation of historians, reach out to Alex about joining our education team: [email protected].

Address

89 Church Street, Ste 2
Saranac Lake, NY
12983

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

(518) 891-4606

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